The World Health Organization has decided to go forward with a proposal that recognizes "gaming disorder" as an illness. Korea Times file

By Bahk Eun-jiThe government will set up a consultative body of health experts, game industry officials and civic groups, to discuss follow-up measures to the World Health Organization's (WHO) decision to classify gaming addiction as a mental disorder.But the discussion is unlikely to proceed smoothly, as game companies are strongly protesting the classification, which they claim will not solve the addiction issue but only damage the industry.The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Sunday that it plans to set up a consultative body with relevant ministries and experts to discuss how to set up relevant health systems and also how to reflect the significant pushback from the game industry.The plan came a day after a committee of the WHO's decision-making body approved including gaming addiction in the new international classification of diseases (ICD-11) by reflecting the globally growing concerns on gaming addiction. The new classification will take effect on Jan. 1, 2022.The WHO defines gaming addiction "as a pattern of gaming behavior ('digital-gaming' or 'video-gaming') characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences." To be diagnosed, the pattern should "result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning" for at least 12 months.The WHO classification is important as it serves as an international standard for health authorities of member countries to report the disease, collect statistics, and budget for treating and preventing the disease.Following the classification, the Korean government will launch a process to manage gaming addiction as a disease, such as setting up a definition of game addiction and prepare detailed diagnosis standards.Although the ICD-11 will take effect in 2022, the health ministry said Korea may be able to officially control game addiction as a disease in 2026 following various necessary steps including revising the Korean standard classification of disease and cause of death (KCD)."The ministry will set up long-term countermeasures as well as future policy directions after sufficient discussion with related ministries and experts," said Kwon Joon-wook, the director of the health policy bureau. Parents' groups, the education sector and civic groups are welcoming it, regarding gaming addiction as something to be treated, but the game industry and related organizations say it is an excessive measure that treats gaming as a "sin."An association comprised of 88 game companies, societies and organizations issued a statement to express strong regret over the WHO's decision."The classification deprives children of their rights to participate in cultural and artistic life stipulated by the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, and it is a hasty decision made despite a lack of enough research and data for scientific grounds," the association said in the statement.It said young people will feel guilty when they play games and game developers and content creators will be under restrictions in expressing creativity. "This is a crisis for the nation's content industry beyond the game industry."The association said it would make efforts to prevent Korea from adopting the ICD-11 into its health regulations.